Chapter 36 Jade
Jade
Lucy blinked and yawned, the IV in her hand tugging. ‘Ouch.’
‘Hey, you,’ Jade whispered as she sat on the chair next to Lucy’s bed. She swiped her thumb against Lucy’s cheek. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘What time is it?’ Lucy asked, her voice groggy, hoarse.
‘Six.’ Jade filled a cup of water from the pitcher and handed it to Lucy.
Lucy winced as she sat up, and Jade withheld from wincing, too.
Seeing her partner in so much pain broke Jade, and she prayed she never had to witness that again.
After watching Lucy give birth the night before, Jade not only had enormous respect for her girlfriend, but also for anyone who’d given birth.
Her sisters-in-law never talked about their birth stories, her mother certainly hadn’t, and the only reference she had was movies.
Jade had no idea there were so many variations to how labour could go, no idea of the medical trauma that took place every day.
‘How’s the baby?’ Lucy asked, sipping the water.
Yet another thing Jade wasn’t prepared for – watching the men she’d grown so fond of rush out of the room with terrified faces, unsure if their daughter was okay.
‘She’s stable. She’s a fighter.’ Jade caught Lucy up on the events.
A few hours after they’d taken the baby to the NICU, Drew and Mason stopped by separately to check on Lucy, who was sleeping by then.
They explained that because the baby was born so early, she needed to be incubated for a few weeks for her system to fully bake.
But all signs pointed to everything being fine.
Later, Jade tried to get more information from the nurse, who said nothing. The moment Lucy had given birth, HIPAA laws kicked in and the code of silence began.
Lucy lazed a hand on top of Jade’s. ‘Did you win?’ Her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, and her eyes flickered with hope.
Oh, wow. Jade had no idea if she’d won or not. Since Lucy’s water broke, the award was the last thing on her mind. But something inside Jade filled with the words. Even in Lucy’s crisis, fighting through pain and fatigue, she hadn’t forgotten Jade.
‘I don’t know.’ Jade pressed her lips against Lucy’s forehead. ‘But let’s both agree it will be a night we will never forget.’
Lucy’s eyes closed and heavy breaths filled the air. After confirming Lucy was peaceful, Jade slipped back into the guest bed and tugged the blankets up to her chest.
***
A quiet knock on the door jostled Jade awake, and she glanced at where Lucy was sitting up, eating eggs.
‘Morning,’ Lucy said between bites. ‘Can you grab the door?’
‘How did I sleep through all that?’ Jade rubbed the corners of her eyes. She slid out of bed and opened the door. Standing in the hall, yawning, with dark circles under their eyes, were Mason and Drew, holding flowers.
‘Is she awake?’ Drew whispered.
‘I’m awake,’ Lucy called from the bed.
Drew squeezed Jade on the arm and stepped past her to get to Lucy.
‘How’s she doing?’ Mason whispered.
Jade couldn’t wait to have a full conversation with Lucy to actually gauge how she was doing.
She seemed fine-ish. Tired, achy, and she needed help going to the bathroom.
But mentally, Jade would find out later.
Lucy claimed she could hand over the kid without a problem, but expectations and reality didn’t always align.
‘She’s okay. Been sleeping off and on. Crashed pretty hard last night.
’ Jade waved him in and closed the door.
‘Good to hear.’ Mason stepped into the room, beelined for Lucy, and opened his arms for a hug.
Lucy put up her hands. ‘Fair warning. I’ve been through labour, childbirth, and recovery, and still haven’t showered.’
Mason waved away her concerns and embraced her anyway. ‘How are you?’
‘I’m feeling good.’ Lucy slid the tray table to the side. ‘Sore, tired, but other than that, I’m fine. Enough about me. How’s the baby?’
‘She’s doing great,’ Drew chimed in and pulled up a chair. ‘Everything is as expected the nurses said. They think she’ll go home in two to three weeks.’
Mason patted Lucy’s hand. ‘Would you like to see some pictures?’
‘Yes!’ Lucy adjusted the bed to a higher sitting position, then took the cell phone from Drew. As she scrolled, her hand covered her mouth. ‘Oh … you guys. She’s so beautiful.’
Mason glanced at Drew and nodded. ‘Go ahead.’
‘Mason and I would like to introduce you to … Lucille.’ Mist filled Drew’s eyes. ‘We wanted to honour you, and everything you’ve done, with her name.’
The air in Jade’s lung hitched at the beautiful tribute.
The dads had been so grateful and caring towards Lucy this entire journey, but this added gift solidified their bond for life.
In the past, Jade wasn’t sure how she would’ve reacted to such a testament towards a partner.
But now, she wanted to join in the biggest, fattest group hug.
Lucy looked between the men, her eyebrows squeezing, and a hand against her heart. Her lips trembled. ‘I don’t know what to say …’
While the three of them chatted, Jade slipped out of the room, promising Lucy she’d be back in a bit. This moment belonged to them, not her. But Jade didn’t feel excluded or forgotten on the sidelines. She felt whole.
Jade wandered the hospital halls, tugging the robe they had given her to cover her dress, and went to the gift shop. She purchased slippers, a sweatshirt, and some gourmet chocolate for Lucy. And then, she had an idea.
She pulled out her phone and noticed a missed message from Amanda.
Thought you’d want to know … you won! Some woman named Amelia called the salon to leave you a message. She said she sat with Lucy after she went into labor. Hope you, Lucy, baby, etc. are all good.
Congratulations!
A grin tugged at Jade’s lips. Besides the fact that she’d been wearing her dress from the banquet, she had not thought about the award ceremony until Lucy brought it up. But she was proud. Her girlfriend had given birth, her friends had a daughter, and she had freaking won Best Salon.
Now, there was only one more thing to do.
***
Jade paid the Uber Eats driver and headed back up the elevator. In the hall, she bumped into Drew and Mason, who were just leaving Lucy’s room. The men wrapped their arms around Jade in the best group hug of her life.
‘Take good care of her,’ Drew said, a smile crossing his tired face.
The events from the last thirty-six hours were finally starting to settle, and to her surprise, Jade found herself choking up.
She’d been so focused on what life would look like post childbirth, and how Lucy would feel, that she’d never allowed herself to imagine how she’d feel after the transformation.
But one thing was certain – Lucy’s happiness was still top priority. ‘I will.’
‘But also’ – Drew held up a finger – ‘let her take care of you. This entire process was hard on you, too, and we haven’t forgotten that.’
‘Just don’t let her cook for you.’ Mason grinned. ‘Unless it’s grilled cheese. Remember that time she tried to make asparagus hotdish?’
Drew groaned. ‘How could I forget?’
Jade gave each man one more quick hug, and then stepped into the room.
‘How am I still so hungry?’ Lucy asked as reached for her water cup. ‘I thought I was eating for two, but this might be the new norm.’
God, I love this woman. Messy, dishevelled, un-showered, her make-up from last night smeared across her face, and she was still the most beautiful woman Jade had ever seen.
‘Luckily, I come bearing gifts.’ Jade revealed the bag she’d been hiding behind her back and dangled it in the air. ‘Close your eyes.’
‘Whatever it is, I already love you.’ Lucy grinned and put her palms to her eyes.
Jade lined up the containers on the TV tray and slid the tray over Lucy’s lap. Her heart was skipping way too quickly for the small gesture. ‘Ready? Open!’
Lucy’s eyes scanned the spread – a mound of prosciutto, salami, soppressata, and chorizo.
‘Salted meats? You got me salted meats!’ She dug into the salami and moaned as she chewed.
Amusement tickled Jade that something as simple as an animal protein could elicit that response.
‘Ah, I really, really, really love you.’
Two years ago, Jade could never have dreamed she’d ever feel as fulfilled as she was right now. She grinned at Lucy, devouring her salty meats with such pure joy, and let herself bask in gratitude. She had opened herself to up to love, and the results had exceeded her wildest dreams.
Lucy layered a prosciutto around a small slice of mozzarella and wiggled her brows. ‘Want to try some?’
‘Nope. Not even a little.’
She grinned at Jade in between bites and swallowed. ‘Next week, vegan restaurant. Maybe we can even start Meatless Mondays. It might kill me, but for you, I’ll give it a shot.’
Knowing Lucy the way Jade did, this offer ranked only one step below her offer to carry for her friends. Jade planted a kiss on Lucy’s lips, the closest she’d been to cured meat in twenty years, but it was totally worth it. Everything about Lucy was worth it.
‘Can’t wait.’